Something evil approaches. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will play Glinda and Elphaba in the films. Director Jon M. Chu posted Wicked set photographs on Instagram in April 2023. Cynthia looks green as Elphaba, while Ariana’s Glinda runs up the stairs in a pink ball gown. “Pink and green. Always start with green and pink. “#WickedMovie in 2024,” he captioned the photographs.
The Tony Award-winning Broadway prequel to The Wizard of Oz inspired the films. The Wicked movie was announced in 2016, but production didn’t begin until 2021. These two films had great expectations due to their strong cast and release dates. Learn all about the two Wicked films here.
‘Wicked’ Movie Release Dates
The first Wicked film, Part One, was released on November 22, 2024. Wicked Part Two hits theaters on November 21, 2025, exactly a year later.
Part One of Wicked runs 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Jon stated in April 2022 why the project was broken into two movies. “As we prepared this production over the last year, it became increasingly clear that it would be impossible to wrestle the story of WICKED into a single film without doing some real damage to it,” Jon tweeted. We made two Wicked movies to expand our canvas! With additional space, we can tell WICKED as it was meant to be told and add depth and surprise to these beloved characters’ journeys.”
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‘Wicked’ Movie Cast & Crew
On November 4, 2021, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo played Glinda and Elphaba. Both actresses announced their casting on Instagram. Ariana posted a photo of herself with her hands over her face in front of an Apple MacBook after the announcement. The pop artist also posted screenshots of a three-way chat between herself, Cynthia, and Jon, followed by a ladies-only call.
Cynthia’s post showed the British actress crying with her hands over her mouth after getting the part. Ariana and Cynthia gave each other flowers and emotional cards congratulating each other on the new position.
Kristen Chenoweth played Glinda the Good Witch on Broadway, but Ariana will play her. Cynthia plays Elphaba, Idina Menzel’s Broadway role. Kristen and Idina complimented Ariana and Cynthia on the legendary roles.
Wicked’s supporting cast is amazing. Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey plays Elphaba’s love, Fiyero. In September 2022, Jon Chu confirmed Jonathan’s casting. “He and they are perfect. Their pairing is ideal. Born to last… My excitement prevents me from denying it. Jonathan Bailey tweeted, “Fiyero!!!! #JonathanBailey #Wicked.”
Playing Fiyero in Wicked was a top musical part. Nick Jonas revealed his Fiyero audition in June 2023. “Yes, it is. Joe and I went out and failed. However, actors live that way, Nick said Variety.
He said, “I think it went really well. Leaving the room made me joyful. I love the show, and I always thought that role would be great. But I think Jonathan [Bailey] will do a terrific job, and the movie will be great.”
Madame Morrible, Shiz University’s Crage Hall headmistress, is played by Michelle Yeoh. Jeff Goldblum will play The Wizard. The Saturday Night Live actor Bowen Yang plays Pfannee, Elphaba and Glinda’s Shiz University classmate. Kaela Settle plays Miss Coddle in The Greatest Showman. Ethan Slater plays Boq, Marissa Bode plays Nessarose (Elphaba’s sister), Bronwyn James plays ShenShen, Aaron Teoh plays Avaric, and Colin Michael Carmichael plays Professor Nikdik.
Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz wrote the Wicked screenplays for Jon M. Chu to direct. Stephen will perform the musical’s great tunes like “Defying Gravity” and “Popular.” Ben Platt’s father Marc and David Stone are producing the flicks. Cinematographer Alice Brooks, production designer Nathan Crowley, and costume designer Paul Tazewell.
Prod Trivia
Wicked Part One rehearsals began in August 2022. Ariana and Cynthia let fans inside their October 2022 rehearsals. During a rehearsal studio break, they took a sweet mirror selfie. To play Glinda, Ariana went blonde that month. Jon Chu announced on December 9 that London filming had began three days earlier.
The crew was meant to shoot Wicked Part One and Part Two sequentially. The SAG-AFTRA strike halted production in July 2023, leaving the cast and crew with a few days to film. Filming resumed and ended in January 2024 after the strike.
Jon M. Chu told Vanity Fair in March 2024 that Cynthia and Ariana insisted on singing live during filming. “When we shot it, those girls said, ‘F**k the pre-records. Going live, he said.
The Wicked films are planned to follow Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, which inspired the Broadway production. The story depicts Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship before and after Dorothy Gale arrives from Kansas. The Wizard’s spell changes Elphaba into the Wicked Witch, turning them from friends into enemies.
Cynthia teased that the films will outperform the show. Cynthia told Entertainment Tonight at the 2022 SAG Awards, “I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. “I think we’ll enjoy its magic. She said they would try to put their own perspective on what we know and tell a story about two sisters.
Stephen Schwartz announced new songs in the films in a June 2022 newsletter. Two new songs in the second movie are whole songs, and other previous songs in both movies have new sections. Naturally, any fresh material meets storytelling needs, he noted.
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